Finally got offshore

[BYRD]

Well, I finally got offshore in my boat. We were in Avon last week on vacation and on Friday I went out of OI to fish. I'll say it was a succesful trip because I went out, fished, and made it back in one piece. The actual fishing is another story.

The first offshore trip on the HollyBrooke was a reminding and learning experince, and was also full of mistakes that shouldn't have been mistakes.

I made the mistake of trusting that the Fishing Center would have ballyhoo. After hanging on the beach Thursday morning with the wife and kids and the other couple we were with decided to go to the swimming pool at clubhouse. I said I need to go back and start prepping for tomorrow. Well that didn't go over so good so we swam in the pool. I kept saying I need to go I need to go and finally after nearly a hour and a half we leave.
Reminder lesson - screw a compromise and do what you want when it comes to the fishing. That ended up costing me.

Mistake two - don't trust that a bait shop will have what you want. I figured the OIFC would have small ballyhoo. Nope. All they had in the freezer were Horses. Oh Sh!t. Luckily the guy running the porch remembered me from when I worked there 10 years ago and hooked me up with some ballyhoo. All he had were Mediums. Well normally that would be fine but there ain't any tuna around this time of year and I really wanted the bailer dolphin and mediums are a tad big for bailers. (Had I not swam in the $#%#$*)$$ pool, I could have gone to Teach's and got my smalls.)
Lesson Learned.

Mistake three - not checking all the fluid levels in the boat. 10 miles out the boat gets hard to steer. Got that sucking feeling when turning the wheel. Figure no big deal I'll just back her down and add some fluid. Get the fluid level back up and the engine wouldn't run good. It would get ready to take off and then just bog down. So instead of running 28kts, now I'm down to 13kts. Lost about 1 and half hours of fishing because of it. Have no idea why the engine did that.

Lesson Learned.

Okay so a litle more background then the report. Normally when I have 3 mistakes happen I do very well. My regular fishing crew jokes with me about, "did you mess up three times yet"? so it is a fairly known commodity that three mistakes equal a good catching trip for me. Not this time. I had two guys lined up to meet me at the fishing center Friday morning, but they ended up not being able to make it. So it just me and the guy we are vacationing with. Now he's a good dude but he ain't a fisherman. He asked why I was upset about not being able to get small bally hoo and said "well can't we just use squid? Enough about that.

Get out to the G tower finally and drop some jigs. NO love, run ten miles to some numbers I got from a buddy and start trolling. I ran two ilanders of the longs, blue white(thanks gradywhite273) and a green yellow (thanks shoefish). The shorts were a jr ilander blue and white and a pink and white sea witch. Flats were a naked and a blue and white sea witch. Planer had a wine an black seawitch with DA WIRE. Shot gun was a bird green machine.

After seeing 7 dolphin in the spread and not hooking up due to bite offs I decided to deep drop. Caught tiles and sea bass. At one o clock I reset the spread and trolled back toward the g tower. No love on the troll. Get the to the g tower and try for amberjack. No love on the jig but we did catch one on a piece of tuna belly that I had gotten from the Teach's Liar fish cleaning station of Tuesday. Around 2:15 we headed back to the inlet.

Here is were the WTF flag or BS flag or whatever gets thrown. Get ready to leave and the engine runs like a top. Cruised at 28kts on the way home. Wish it would ran like that in the morning. Have no idea why

Well, the first time offshore in my boat was a good time and a learning experience. I'd like to thank all ya'll on SFC.com for your help and input. Ya'll are the best.

By the way there is just something about that clear blue water that captures your spirit and calls your name. Almost like its taunting you, come on, I'm right here waiting. Come on, where you at? I can't wait to get back out there.

[clt_capt]

At least you got out there.

I'm no mechanic, but had the same thing happen on a friend's boat a while back - Same thing - couldn't get the turns up, then after a while all the sudden we could... Turned out to be a small leak in the fuel line causing vapor lock...

[WAHOONBOX]

ONCE AGAIN....THE SCIENCE TEACHER IS DOING THE TEACHING....FIRST IT WAS REFITTING A BOAT.....AND NOW MORE LESSONS TO BE LEARNED


WORLD CLASS REPORT MY FRIEND!

[Reelscreamer]

Atleast you got out there to try. I wish I had my own boat to have days like this! LOL maybe one day when I grow up! LOL

Jeremy

[shore-power]

I remember seeing some of your video's when you started restoring your boat. My hats off to anyone who can undertake that kinda project.Do you have any pictures of the finished boat now? Glad you got out & back safe & caught some fish. Did you keep your old little boat?

[shoefish]

All things considered, I would say that was a succesful first trip offshore- it seems like the first few trips are always filled with gremlins, but after a couple the ship (and crew) get dialed in. Soon....very soon.....there will be blood on the decks

[BYRD]

Thanks guys. Shore-Power I still have the little boat. The big boat just can't get everywhere I need to go.

Shoe thanks for the encouraegment.

Box - thanks for all your help. You know what I'm talking about.

Here is a pic of the boat when we stopped for lunch on the way down.



Here is a pic of one of the tiles we caught. Little guy bought fought pretty good.



Here is a pic of the small amberjack my buddy caught.